Taylor Swift remembers Dolly Parton as 'the gift that kept on giving' after her death
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Taylor Swift has shared a touching tribute to late Dolly Parton following her death at age 80 in Nashville on Tuesday, August 25. Swift reflected on Parton's generosity, artistry, humor and lasting influence in a heartfelt message.
Parton's representatives confirmed that she had been facing cancer, though the specific type was not disclosed at the time of her death. Her passing marked the loss of one of the most recognizable and influential figures in American entertainment after a career spanning more than six decades.
Taylor Swift remembers Dolly Parton's lasting legacy
Swift described a world without Parton as something that “doesn't feel possible, real, or right,” while highlighting the countless lives the country music legend changed for the better. She called Parton “the gift that kept on giving” and praised her for giving people someone to look up to while encouraging them to remain true to themselves.
Swift also admired the way Parton shared lessons about the world “gently and honestly” while maintaining mystery and fantasy in parts of her life and complete transparency in ways that mattered. She described Parton as “true grace and true grit” and praised her soft heart toward the struggles of others and her “backbone of steel” in defending her self-worth as an artist.
Swift expressed gratitude for Parton's melodies and lyrics, which she said could thaw even the coldest hearts, as well as the millions of books provided to children around the world through her Imagination Library.
She also referenced the risks Parton took so that “young girls like me could grow up dreaming of joining the circus too.” Swift concluded her tribute by writing, “Dolly, I'll think of you each step of the way.”
Swift, who began her career in country music before achieving massive crossover success, had long expressed admiration for Parton. In 2023, she praised Parton's humor, artistry and impact on generations of performers, describing her as “a force of evolution and transformation” in the music business and “a storyteller for the ages.”
Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift shared mutual admiration
Parton had also championed Swift, telling Variety in 2024 that she was “amazing” for what she had accomplished. Parton said she admired how Swift had handled her business and personal life and what she had meant to young people, calling her “a great inspiration” and noting the need for uplifting people and things.
Last month, Parton posted a video message thanking Swift and Travis Kelce for donating $2 million to her Imagination Library ahead of their July 3 wedding at Madison Square Garden. Parton joked that she wanted the couple's firstborn because it would be “one special baby,” said she was “overjoyed” by their generosity and signed off by singing 'I Will Always Love You.'
Dolly Parton's representatives revealed details about her death
Parton's representatives revealed that she died after a “brief battle” with cancer at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville.
A statement described her life and career as bringing “joy, laughter, hope and integrity” into everything she touched and highlighted her generosity through the hundreds of millions of books donated through the Imagination Library and funding for research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world.
Parton had experienced dizziness and dehydration the week before she died, preventing her from appearing at Dollywood, where she instead introduced the park's new Nightflight Expedition roller coaster through video.
A year earlier, she canceled a six-show Las Vegas residency and later canceled the rescheduled dates, explaining that her immune and digestive systems had been affected over the previous years.
